Holiday Gift Guide!

December 4, 2017

The holidays are fast approaching and with little ones, the season really does take on new meaning, doesn’t it? Whether it’s baby’s first Christmas or the first one your child is able to genuinely understand and get excited for, we hope it’s a great one. If you’re not sure what to put under the tree for your little ones, we have plenty of ideas to make your shopping easy and quick. So grab some egg nog, and read on!

Gift Ideas for Babies

The truth is, babies are one of the trickiest family members to shop for (because they’ll play for an hour with the tissue paper and empty box, right?). They don’t tend to need anything or even know that they want anything, but if you have a baby, or a little one in your life, you probably want to give them something anyway, but what? Here’s our list of favourite gifts for babies 0-12 months.

As your kiddos grow, the holidays become more and more fun! You can start to include them in family traditions like hanging the stockings or baking cookies for the neighbours. Toddlers are also really fun to shop for! Here are a few of my favourites for children, aged 1-3.

Wooden toys create such a beautiful aesthetic in the nursery and your home in general (because let’s be honest, their toys never stay in the room!). Hape is a solid brand that makes gorgeous and educations toys. My favourites for toddlers are the Block and Roll walker, the Rollar Derby marble roll, and the Discovery Box. By now, you’re also reading for approximately 30 minutes per day with your toddler, so don’t forget to gift them books! Our youngest adored If I Were A Penguin, and the whole series (Unicorn, etc) is terrific.

Gift Ideas for Kids

For children ages 4-7, you’ll have a sense of what they’re really passionate about and interested in, so shop accordingly. All three of our kids fall into this age category, and they’re all so unique. They can grow tired of toys, but gifts that are activities have more playability for the long term.

I love the idea of supporting their artistic side with musical instruments and craft supplies. Janod has wonderful children’s musical instruments such as the xylo, and percussion set. The educational toys by Kid O such as the magnetic uppercase magnatab are great, screen-free options.

New Traditions

Apart from gifts, it’s also the traditions we start when we have children that make the holidays so special. Growing up, my parents always gave us kids a tree ornament every year and when started our own families, we kept the tradition alive. If you’re looking for a sweet tree decoration to mark your baby’s first Christmas, or as an annual tradition, I love the Sophie the giraffe ball and the Babyprints ball that displays your baby’s hand print.

Leading up to the holidays, we also love to anticipate Christmas with a countdown and introduce a few festive books and toys. These books and toys are packed up all year and only come out on December 1st, so the kids are always really excited when they see them again. I love these Christmas tree building blocks and this Pearhead chalk board countdown.

We hope the season is filled with meaning, memories, and joy! Happy Holidays!

Emily is a Montreal-based writer and blogger, but most importantly, a mom of three littles (age 7 and under). She geeks out over cloth diapers, lattes, and will do just about anything to travel. You can find her on Instagram @emmorrice where she profusely overgrams pictures of her meals, kids and city.